National

A fight is brewing over Alberta’s K-12 curriculum overhaul after United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney vowed this past weekend a UCP government would halt the review.

On Sunday, Education Minister David Eggen called that proposal outrageous, a “drive-by shooting” on education.

Kenney called the $64-million review an “ideological rewrite” during a speech at the UCP pre-election conference in Edmonton. Over the weekend, he rolled out a number of platform points, ranging from the repeal of controversial farm safety legislation to ending wind and solar power subsidies.

But his promise to stop the NDP’s flagship curriculum review spurred Eggen to accuse Kenney of trying to score “cheap political points.”

The province plans to complete the review by 2022 and estimated it has cost about $20 million so far.

Kenney clarified in a media availability late Sunday afternoon. “We agree with the NDP the curriculum does need to be updated and modernized,” he said, adding a future government could keep parts of the review alive.

He said that a UCP government would launch extensive consultations to create “a curriculum that will have a strong emphasis on foundational competencies.”

Kenney also touted expanding school choice, saying the UCP will consider removing the cap on charter schools. Currently in Alberta there is a government-imposed cap allowing 15 charter schools to operate at one time.

“To be clear, we will not be proposing an increase in the per capita subsidy that goes to students in independent schools,” he said.

Pre-election conference draws 500

Around 500 people attended the UCP conference at the Edmonton Expo Centre, where Kenney delivered a speech that touched on the economy, public services and Alberta’s strained relationship with the federal government.

“We come out of this convention with great energy and momentum,” he said Sunday.

Kenney said the first three pieces of legislation a UCP government would introduce would repeal the carbon tax, change labour rules and repeal farm safety legislation.

Repealing Bill 6

Kenney’s Farm Freedom Act would give farmers a choice on workplace insurance, repealing legislation that caused a rural outcry when it passed in 2015.

Bill 6 made Workers’ Compensation Board insurance coverage mandatory for paid farm and ranch workers. Opponents argued it hurt family farms across the province. The backlash prompted the NDP government to introduce an amended bill that exempted family farms without employees.

“Scrapping this would undermine workplace safety, & all the hard work of our stakeholders over the past several yrs (sic),” he tweeted.

Ending solar and wind subsidies

Kenney also announced Sunday a UCP government would take subsidies for wind-powered and solar-powered electricity off the table if elected.

The NDP has been pushing to increase renewable electricity generation in Alberta, setting a target for renewable energy to make up 30 per cent of electricity generation by 2030. Earlier this week, the province boasted that 2018 marked the first year when less than half of the Alberta’s electricity was coal-powered.

“If it requires a subsidy, we won’t do it,” Kenney said. “A lot of this stuff is right now being subsidized by the carbon tax which we’re scrapping on Day 1 of the legislature.”

He said there would be no subsidies for sources of power that cost more than market rate.

“If more wind and solar can come onto the grid by competing on a market basis with other forms of power production, we’ll absolutely embrace that,” he said.

Pay cuts for MLAs, premier

On Sunday, Kenney also promised the UCP would cut MLA salaries by five per cent. The premier’s salary would be reduced by 10 per cent.

“I thought the premier should take a larger cut because the premier gets the largest pay cheque in the legislature,” he said. “It’s our intention that this would continue until the budget is balanced.”

At that point, a UCP government would appoint an independent panel to provide advice on compensation levels, he said.

The New Democrats are also in the midst of election prep, rolling out a website called “The Truth About Jason Kenney” last week. Premier Rachel Notley has scheduled a throne speech to open the legislature on March 18, hinting an election will take place after that date. By legislation, an election must take place between March 1 and May 31.